A Manitoba pet shelter attempting to charge a dog owner $150 for the return of her lost pet – a situation that required RCMP intervention – could put an unnecessary stain on shelters in general, the owner of a long-running local pet charity told 680 CJOB.
“I was pretty surprised when I read about it today,” said Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter’s Carla Martinelli-Irvine.
“I think it’s very sad for pet rescue shelters as a whole. Something like this taints us. We have a completely different way of doing things.”
The incident in question happened when dog owner Melissa Morden’s pet, Trigger, escaped her sister’s Stonewall yard.
After hours of searching, Morden said she got a text message from the Homeless and Injured Animal Rescue of Canada (HIARC), where Trigger was originally adopted.
Morden said HIARC demanded $150 via text for the return of her pet. Local RCMP resolved the situation.
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Martinelli-Irvine, who has been running Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter as a registered charity for two decades, said she didn’t know HIARC’s reasons behind the cash demand, but it should never have happened.
“It’s very, very sad that it happens. I’ve been doing this a long, long time… and now there’s places all over and I’d say the majority of them are very good,” she said.
“I’d like to think we’re all in it for the same reason, and there are a lot of very, very good shelters here in Winnipeg.
“I’ve also seen the mom and pop places pick up. They have four or five animals and call themselves a shelter, and unfortunately they solicit funds and they get them.
“I think that really hurts the legitimate charities that are out there. When you’re a charity, you’re accountable, and you have to be above reproach. There are a lot of really good charities out there that run this type of shelter.”
HIARC, for its part, has insisted that no wrongdoing occurred in this case.
Martinelli-Irvine said there are occasionally costs related to lost dogs, but those are mainly if a pet is found with an injury and requires necessary veterinary care. In those cases, she said, the costs are passed on to pet owners who are more than happy to pay.
Under no circumstances, she said, are people asked to pay for the return of their pet.
Her advice for anyone with a lost pet is to contact resources like Winnipeg Animal Services, the Winnipeg Humane Society, and Winnipeg Lost Dog Alert.
“They’re terrific for posting things on social media, and you get everyone’s eyes looking for the dog,” she said.
WATCH: Owner fuming after pet rescue demands money to return lost dog
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